Okay folks... we are days away from launching www.TheDarkness.com (http://www.TheDarkness.com) all the ticking info, all the info on the haunts opening you name it will be added to this site. I hope it will be online within the next couple of days.

Yes I will be adding photos as we go. Today is the day...four guys start tearing stuff out TODAY! We will start building the new scenes probably in about 7 or 10 days. We first need to tear out the old stuff, and clean up the storage room, and the entire attraction.

A 40 yard container is showing up today and the ripping out of everything starts.

Okay here is an update as to what is going to be added prior to March 2009.

Main Floor: Tomb Theme

1) Interactive Themed Que Line
2) Torture Chamber
3) Cave

Second Floor: Mansion

1) Green House
2) Rats and more Rats Room
3) Re-Theming an Re-directing several of the rooms.

All of this and so much more... I already have several vendors working on SECRET new animations and props. We will actually build most of the animations ourselves with vendors making the monster part.

Here is the first photo of the new building almost done. The building is getting the roof, bricks and sprinkler started THIS WEEK. The building should be done 110% within 4 weeks or before the end of this year. We'll have 2 and a half months to build eveything in the new building. It will be TOUGH!

Larry

Front Yard Fright

11-17-2008, 01:04 AM

That is fantastic! I'm a very big fan of your work! I've been to your show twice (2005 & 2008) and I was very impressed each time! I read about your expansion on your website and when we last visited The Darkness I saw the structure in back and was really excited to have known what was going on back there!

I actually saw you in the ticket booth at Creepyworld and was really tempted to come up and say something to you about how I was a fan (I'm a bit of a chicken :p) but I really wished I would have! I'm hoping to attend Transworld this year so maybe I'll be able to meet you then!

Until then keep up the great work! You're an inspiration!
:).

Nightgore

11-17-2008, 08:16 AM

I'm getting very excited! We are bringing a big part of our crew with us to St. Louis, but I think only my business partner and I will attend the lights on Darkness tour. Please keep us up to date on this! Thanks. -Tyler

hauntedhousenut

11-17-2008, 10:49 AM

Very much looking forward to this event!

31Halloween31

11-17-2008, 01:38 PM

Two Thumbs Up!!!!

SomeThingInTheIce

11-17-2008, 04:08 PM

The new building looks huge, is it two floors or one with a high ceiling? I'm looking forward to seeing your haunt in march. At the tour will you have tee shirts for sale? I get tees at all the haunts I go to , if they have them for sale.

bhays

11-17-2008, 07:42 PM

I am surprised you invested in all those windows for a haunt building, is there a reason...I assumed you would save the expense and the problem of all the ambient light coming in..

UnDeRTaKer313

11-17-2008, 08:08 PM

yes very true
didnt the darkness get all new windows last year?
any reason?

Greg Chrise

11-17-2008, 09:39 PM

I'll bet this side is offices. Larry's office is the top floor penthouse that is 8,000 SF with just a desk and a bear skin rug in the middle. Mister Big will see you now....

Front Yard Fright

11-17-2008, 09:42 PM

About the windows, this is just a guess... But The Darkness is right next to a very large high end condos, so I'm wondering if there were some agreement between the two that if they were to add on, it would have to look nice considering many condos face The Darkness Building.

And if I remember correctly there was a guy that said The Darkness actually used to be in the building that the condos are in currently...

Just my guess... :p.

drfrightner

11-17-2008, 11:10 PM

Are you guys serious? Why did we add windows to a building? This is a $600,000.00 building, you have to add windows. We may sell this building down the road, it could be just about anything. You can't not have windows.

The windows are costing about 40,000.00 its just part of what is added to any building, any house, blah, blah.

I'm not putting a haunted house in the bottom floor it will be a shop or something it all needs windows.

Lastly, the new building needs to match the existing building and the windows match...

As for windows on the Darkness last year yes we replaced all the windows on the first floor, and now all the windows on the new building match those windows.

After next Halloween we'll replace all the windows on the second floor as well.

Those windows also open so on a nice day we can let some air into the building.

Larry

damon carson

11-19-2008, 11:08 AM

Actually the whole building has windows through the entire thing. They did put new windows in the entire building. I noticed when we went to the Darkness when they closed down you could see inside all the windows when they turned on the lights. I guess it stays dark enough when all the house lights are turned off. The walls cover I would say half of the windows anyway. And most rooms I think they building them up to the ceiling anyway. Or at least they used to. I would say they are doing this add on as the same of the rest of the building. And the daylight helps save on the electric bill.
Damon

damon carson

11-20-2008, 04:03 PM

I dont remember seeing or reading Larrys post before mine. I didnt read it before I posted what I knew. Believe me. LOL! This is in no way plagerism. Ha! HA!
Damon

damon carson

11-21-2008, 10:08 PM

Is the secret twist a tornado slide at the end of Terror Visions Larry? A slide would be awesome like the old Terror Visions had!
Damon

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-22-2008, 02:04 AM

larry when the hell are you guys selling the lights on tour tickets?! Haha I saw it is limited to one hundred fifty people? I'm desperate to see your amazing work!!

-Keegan

xxxdirk

11-22-2008, 03:04 PM

Just curious what the ticket price will be for going to the haunt, and what the ticket price will include?

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-22-2008, 04:20 PM

They advertised it as one fifty for the lights on tour that included a dinner and refreshments... Whether that has changed or not is beyond me but I'm extremely excited to see this place. I've called twice and I'm hoping they sell them soon :)

Hope that helps.

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-22-2008, 04:22 PM

Also that price does not include the seperate tour that is Saturday evening. The lights on tour is supposed to be Thursday night the twenty sixth.

xxxdirk

11-22-2008, 05:02 PM

Wow, if that price is correct, I will not go to it. I mean I am all for making a fw bucks, but I think that seems really high. His regular haunt ticket is $17. Why charge that much? I dont think that Dreamerapers EVER charged that much....
shaking head in disbelief

UnDeRTaKer313

11-22-2008, 05:12 PM

very true. almost all haunted house now a days will give you a free lights on tour if you are a haunt owner and schedule it with them ahead of time.
maybe you should just charge for dinner and refreshments?
its all up to you obviously though.

also is the darkeness going to be in full operation and open for regular ticket sales during the tradeshow?

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-22-2008, 06:00 PM

Keep in mind folks this was just what I read in the latest hauntworld. Refer to page eighty three of # 19. and I was incorrect, it is one hundred dollars for lights on. Fifty per person for the lights off tour on Saturday. Again that's page eighty three of hauntworld number nineteen.

UnDeRTaKer313

11-22-2008, 06:05 PM

sounds odd to me.
why spend 50 for lights off tour when tickets are 17 bucks.

kpolley

11-23-2008, 03:29 AM

We have been through this many times...the lights on tour allows you to see the haunt in a way that you are not going to see it any other way. You can take pictures and look at every detail as long as you want in full lighting and ask any of us that are there any questions you might have. It's an oppurtunity to study The Darkness. For $17 you walk through it. For the lights on tour you really get to SEE it and every detail inside. Don't pay it if you don't want to...but it's going to be a great learning experience. It may seem pricey to some people and that's your call whether or not to come but you wouldn't need to take much from the tour to get your money's worth. What would it be worth to you to have a great new idea for a room in your haunt or a cool new scare tactic to employ? You'll go and spend money on props and how-to videos and seminars...this is exactly the same except instead of watching a DVD or listening to someone talk about something they did you can see it all for yourself. It's going to be great and I really hope that lots of you guys make it out. It'll be fun. Heck, assuming I'm there that night I'll even show everyone the prop that nearly put my eye out earlier in the season. That right there is worth something...

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-23-2008, 08:51 AM

Haha that's exactly why I'm coming. This is no different than going to college!! Yeah, you pay more money to go to a nicer college, but what do youwalk away with? A better education!! Kip or Larry: are pictures still authorized as the advertisement states?

kpolley

11-23-2008, 10:53 AM

Absolutely! You will be allowed to essentially wander the place looking at whatever you want, taking pictures of whatever you want, and asking any of us that are there whatever you want. It's the chance to get up close and personal with the place the same way that we do. Hope to see you all there.

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-23-2008, 11:17 AM

Awesome!! Now if I can just get an answer as to when tickets go on sale....? Lol I'm anxious.

brad

11-24-2008, 10:00 AM

Heck, assuming I'm there that night I'll even show everyone the prop that nearly put my eye out earlier in the season. That right there is worth something...

I'll go just to see that!!!

Everything else will just be a bonus for me.

Sorry Kip, but I gotta see that!

SomeThingInTheIce

11-24-2008, 05:19 PM

Also remember, supply and demaned. With only so much time there can only be so many ligyts on tickets sold, so you charge what the market can handle. They will sell all the lights on tickets and they will go fast. Lights on tours are cool, I have done them at Halloween Horror Nights and you can see a lot and how things are done, put together, little details, etc. You may even see something that you do at your haunt but is being done in a better way. I would love to do a lights on tour of the Darkness but I'll have to see.

kpolley

11-24-2008, 07:05 PM

Thanks Brad. I wish I was getting comission off these tickets. That would be money in my pocket. Larry...any chance??? LOL

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-24-2008, 07:35 PM

Cripes someone let me buy two already!!!!

stafford

11-24-2008, 07:40 PM

Everyone seems to be judging this event, based on the past, or based on how you would do it. Well, it's not the past, and it's not your event. It's Larry's decision, kinda like we decide how many VIP tickets we're going to sell, and at what price. If Larry decided how many he wants to sell, and decided the price he believes he can sell them at, and what he feels it's worth, it's his decision. If it was my event, or your event, maybe we wouldn't charge that much, but it doesn't matter.

If you don't think it's worth it, then make the fundamental consumer decision and don't pay it. Would I like to pay less, sure, but I'll pay the $150 and be fine with it, why? Because I don't usually get to see haunts in other parts of the country, unless I buy a plane ticket fly in one day, home the next, get a rental car, hotel, meals etc. So I'm not being a smart ass here, this is actually a good deal, in comparison. The Darkness has been on my list of haunts I'd like to see, so for $150 I'll cross this one off. I'm thankful that haunt owners across the country will open for events like this regardless of what they charge.

And in the end, hopefully Larry has taken a cue from the discussions on this board about other tours, and will provide a better "catered" and "organized" event than others have. Otherwise I think he's seen what happens here :)

Chris

drfrightner

11-24-2008, 10:22 PM

Here is the final pricing...

$50.00 for the normal tour on Saturday night. You will see about ONE MILLION in investment that NO ONE has ever seen before including every person who visited our attractions this past October.

$125.00 for the behind the scenes tour, which includes food, drinks, and a ticket to come back on Saturday.

Its really that simple...

Is the price for the normal Saturday ticket to much NO FREAKING WAY... some of you haunters are now charging $30, $40 dollars for your haunts and with speed tickets even more. To see our haunt tour it will cost you TWO freakin people, TWO tickets sold, and for other 4 or 5 tickets sold. Not that big a deal.

I'm spending about $200,000.00 fixing up the haunts, and another $600,000 on hte new building. Normally we wouldn't be spending this much this fast, we'll be out this money for about 6 months.

Normally we wouldn't spend this kind of money until we get closer to when we open so we can get it back quicker... this will be a costly tour for us for sure!

I hope everyone feels in the end it was worth every penny!

I really feel the heat here, I'm sure my haunt will be put through the grinder, so I have to make sure we do everything we can to make this the best haunt tour you've ever seen.

We'll do our best!

Right now we have FOUR people working everyday on the haunted houses.

I'll get some pics soon.

Larry

Nightgore

11-24-2008, 10:34 PM

Any clue as to when the tickets will go on sale? Thanks. -Tyler

Front Yard Fright

11-24-2008, 10:53 PM

I am extremely excited for this and I really hope I am able to purchase a ticket. I do agree that $125 is a lot of money, but I believe that the experience will be more than worth it!
Where do I sign up!?

SomeThingInTheIce

11-25-2008, 10:34 AM

Wait, $125.00 gets you the lights on tour, food, drinks and a ticket for the Show. That's not over priced at all, that sounds about right. I need to start working my brother to pony up, I don't want to miss this.

Ken Spriggs

11-25-2008, 11:03 AM

As a haunt that has opened for TW for many years.......good luck.

Funny all season long we usually comp most haunt people that come out.
We opened for TW...as some of you know.....gave you a ride, and then behind the scenes stuff.

We have charged $10 admission to our haunt....now I know we suck and really who am I to compare Dream Reapers to any other haunt in the industry?......BUT....We also gave you a ride back and forth for $5.

Now I have gone to a few open houses during conventions
Believe me.....I don't really want buffet food....and most of the haunts serving food....would end up being shut down for serving food...no permits or license or some bs.

As I look back at this post above....I have no idea where I was going

BUT if people are paying $150 to see a haunted house and get some food
You better believe there will be some pissed people.
It will be a good time no doubt.....you get to be in Larrys company and breath the same air that he breaths...lol

Larry....really don't need to call me or tell me I am wrong.....
But Kip and Yourself are listing a few reasons why the tour is the cost that it is......
Why justify it?
Kip....Like i said, DR is not the greatest place in the world.....but over 3000 haunt owners and workers have graced our doors in the last 2 years we were open for TW. Those people certainly enjoyed the behind the scenes tours...and I personally have taken people around our building...just to show them our silly way of doing something.

Larry? You are doing the improvements for yourself to the building.
It sounded like.....hey I am doing these improvements for you.....so you have to pay me.

Like I said I am not looking for a fight....could careless these days about the games that we all play in the industry....he likes you ....they hate me.....your scum and didn't ship my stuff.

Whatever

We may be at the Darkness deal at TW
Then again.....Don Julio and I may just get to know each other again....

TATER???? You comin?

drfrightner

11-25-2008, 11:42 AM

Ken,

I think you misunderstand... its $50.00 per person for a ticket to the haunt opened with actors. I'm having an event the night before the show opens a behind the scenes tour, with includes food, drinks, a party, lights on tour of the attractions, camera's and a ticket to come back to the event on Saturday.

I do EVERYTHING first class so the food I will be getting and the drinks, blah, blah, will be expensive and its only $125.00, so when you take off the $50 for the haunt tour on Saturday its only $75.00 which includes your food and everything else.

These prices are NOT out of line, at IAAPA they threw a gala and charged people $150.00 and all you really got was dinner and to watch people speak. If someone doesn't want to come they don't have to come it won't hurt my feelings.

Secondly, I never said I'm doing the building add on or anything else for anyone but my own company... its an investment in OUR business. However the haunt industry will be the first to see it... $50.00 for a haunt tour isn't much, this is exactly what Randy charged last year, this is what some haunts charge for their tickets with speed option added. Again if someone doesn't like it don't come its really that simple.

I'm not changing it and I really don't care what you charged, that was your choice, if you woud have charged $1,000.00 that would have been your option, same goes for anyone else who does this.

I think the difference here Ken is I'm totally 110% rebuilding my haunted house prior to this event, 110% rebuilding. So in that vein yes I am doing this for Transworld Show and the industry to tour... I would NOT normally rebuild my haunt prior to March 27th... c'mon now!

So yeah I am doing ths for this event, otherwise I would not have my haunt ready to go before the second weekend of September. I don't know what you guys spend on your haunt, (I'm sure a good amount) but I'm going to be spending alot on this. I'm not trying to shortchange anyone you can bank on that. In the bigger scheme of things, when it is all said and done, I'm not going to make any money here, I will be out tens of thousands for months until the haunt can open back up in September.

Some people have suggested to me... why not open as is right now and charge less. Well others would rather see the latest and greatest...yeah go for it do it up 110% that is what we want to see. Look you can never please everyone and I'm not going to try. Either come or don't come no point in debating. If no one buys a ticket I'll live trust me!

Its up to each and every single person to judge what something is worth to them from seminars, which we hear complaints about all the time, to a magazine that is only $30.00, to a video... I've heard complaints about all of it.

The goal is always to make more people happy then the unavoidable unhappy people... that is exactly what will happen here as well. I can live with it!

Larry

drfrightner

11-25-2008, 11:43 AM

Tyler,

We can't see to get the new site uploaded to the server but we are working on it today... any minute now!

Larry

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-25-2008, 12:00 PM

Larry, I will be the first one to buy tickets. Your secretary said she'd call me as soon as they were on sale but ill get them online if that guarantees me two tickets. :) keep us updated.

xxxdirk

11-25-2008, 12:29 PM

Not to be a jerk, but can you tell us EXACTLY what food and drinks will be availalble? I mean is it gonna be lobster and 20 year old brandy, or a hotdog and bottle of water? lol
Also does that ticket price include transportation?

damon carson

11-25-2008, 12:34 PM

I would like some more details too. Bus transportation would be nice. From the convention center. I would like to know what type of food or whats in consideration for the menu. Is alcohol gonna be served or just soft drinks and water? Not griping or anything either just really want to know what all will be involved. And is there anyway we can get a tour shirt to show off the next day at Transworld?!?
Thanks,
Damon

drfrightner

11-25-2008, 12:42 PM

You mean you ask me point blank questions and I shouldn't think you are being a jerk? C'mon now! LOL

Good questions Dirk... I don't have anything picked out on that yet and probably won't even think about it until 30 days till... this is what I can tell you there is a catering place around the corner from my attractions, they are rated the #1 in St. Louis. She does all the high dollar stuff around St. Louis, and that is who I am going to hire. Hopefully that answers your question to some degree.

No it won't be hotdogs, if you read my last post on the subject, I said FIRST CLASS...I don't think hot dogs is FIRST CLASS atleast not in my book. No it will be REAL food, and as I stated it will be expensive.

One of the MAIN reasons why the food can't be ordered until closer to the date is because I need to have a rough idea how many people have bought tickets first. Secondly yes we will serve alcohol, and soda blah, blah.

As for transportation from the convention center to The Darkness that would not be included in the ticket... arranging that as I've seen from Vegas is just way to hectic. I think the difference here is simple... The Darkness is less than 2 miles from the convention center. I would assume most are renting cars or driving to the show so buses in this case would not be needed atleast from my opinion.

However we will probably arrange for a bus service for those who don't have cars, and we'll just sell bus passes for like $5.00 or whatever that go round trip first come first serve back and forth all night.

All those details will be worked out in January. Just remember we are doing a TIMED TICKETING program, so you will know what time you are to show up at the Darkness so we won't have the mayhem of last years tour.

The wait times should be shorter for you no more than one hour.

Larry

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-25-2008, 12:44 PM

Why would they provide transportation? It's not far from the center. I'm Sure you can carpool with someone.

NightmareAftershockLLC

11-25-2008, 12:45 PM

Haha sorry posted before I saw your answer.

drfrightner

11-26-2008, 11:32 PM

Here are some pictures of our building coming along! The roof is now on, the bricks are going up and next week they'll start to put in the sprinkler system. Once all of this is in place we'll start to build the upstairs attractions.

Larry

drfrightner

11-26-2008, 11:39 PM

Okay here we go folks...

BIG MEETING TODAY... everything that is going to be done to the Darkness the existing one was laid out in detail today. I now feel totally and I mean totally overwhelmed We might be biting off way more than we can chew so I might want to take back some of the promises I've made as to what will be done or won't be done.

The things we are going to do to the inside of the Darkness might be more than we can do before March because we have so many projects that are going on right now... but we're going to try that much I know for sure.

I want this to be the best thing you've ever seen and well it will be VERY COSTLY both money wise and time wise.

So many rooms will be re-done I just don't know.

Anyway here is where start... view this photos and then follow along with the progress.

You will truely see something from nothing to something over the next few weeks.

SO HERE IS NOTHING...THIS IS WHERE WE START! LOL

This picture will be an attic scene with LIVE RATS... you'll see!

Larry

drfrightner

12-04-2008, 10:25 PM

Here are some more boring photos... I spent the better part of the day today down at Darkness with our art department. I had some drawings I did, and passed them over to the REAL artists, who are going to re-draw everything so we can start building the scenes.

I'm hoping to get those drawings back next week which I will share with everyone. We are going to build a MASSIVE foam carved facade with a waterfall which you will actually walk under. Cool huh?

Here is the problem the things I want to do almost can't be done in time for March because we are building projects for several clients... once Jim gets back from his vacation to real work will start and we will figure out how to get this done in this short time frame.

The facade will be AWESOME the biggest coolest thing we've ever done!

We finally got our catacomb removed as you can see in these photos. And one wall of our new building is almost done with the bricks as you can see, and last picture shows the que room demolished.

I'm pushing all the limits here folks just for this show... you will love it!